Although schools have their own recruitment policy for staff appointments, when recruiting a Road Crossing Patrol (RCP), Head Teachers must follow the local authority procedure Guidance for the Recruitment & Selection of RCPs. This document should be read before starting the recruitment process in conjunction with the SPS Recruitment & Selection - relevant legislation, which sets out all the current legislation.
Even though RCPs are employed by Kent County Council (KCC), the Head Teacher, as the RCP's day to day line manager, is responsible for their recruitment as they are working for the school. This is the case regardless of whether the school needs to appoint a new RCP due to the resignation of the current post holder or when a new post has been agreed. However, we are available to advise Head Teachers on any issues or concerns that arise both before and during the recruitment process.
Head Teachers must keep copies of all the documentation used during the recruitment process, together with written notes of any discussions or interviews with candidates, for at least six months. If challenged, Head Teachers would then be able to evidence that a fair and open recruitment process was undertaken in line with current legislation and procedures.
We would advise that there should be at least two people on the recruitment panel.
Equality Act 2010 – impact on recruitment practice
Under the above legislation you need to be aware that new provisions, which came into force on 1 October 2010, restrict employers from asking health-related questions, either orally or in writing, prior to making an offer of employment to a job candidate. In practice this will mean that no questions should be asked about attendance prior to making a job offer as this is likely to be interpreted as asking about health.
As a result, employers that ask candidates questions about health, whether on the application form, during an interview, in a reference request or in a medical questionnaire, could be liable for a successful claim of disability discrimination by a (disabled) candidate whose job application was unsuccessful. It will be for the employer to prove that the reason the particular individual was not recruited was not for a reason related to disability.
In practice this means that:-
However, you will be able to make a job offer conditional on the potential employee providing satisfactory answers to a medical questionnaire or undergoing a medical examination. Similarly, where you make an offer of employment subject to satisfactory references you would be able to ask the referee questions about level of sickness absence, if you seek the reference after the job offer has been made.
You should now use the revised application form and draft reference letters which have been amended to take account of these changes. Once you have made a conditional job offer you can send a second reference request, asking for details of the health record and this can be found below, under section 6.
For full details of the implications of this change use link
The stages in the recruitment process are set out below, including a summary of what action needs to be taken by Head Teachers. There is also a recruitment checklist that can be used alongside these notes.
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1. Getting Started
a) Agree a Timetable
Although Head Teachers may need to appoint a new RCP quickly sufficient time should be allowed to successfully complete all the stages of the recruitment process. Taking time at the start of the process to prepare a timetable will ensure that the recruitment process is thorough and fair.
b) Job Profile/Person Specification
This has been drawn up by KCC and includes an outline of the main duties of the post and describes the skills necessary in order to perform the job at the required level.
Job Profile/person specification
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2. Salary
All new starters to KCC must be appointed on the bottom point of their grade and for RCPs this will be the bottom of Kent Range 2.
As RCPs work Term Time only their salary will be paid on a pro-rata basis to a full time appointment. To determine the actual salary payable, the calculation is as follows:
FT salary
X hrs worked per week
X days paid for per year
= Actual salary payable
37
365
Head Teachers should provide candidates at interview with details of the salary payable and how it is calculated.
Salary Scales
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3. Advertise the post
a) Advertising
The advert must include KCC's policy commitment on safeguarding children and a draft advert is provided. Head Teachers can advertise the vacancy using various methods, word of mouth, newsletter to parents, cards in local shops or adverts in the local press etc. Any costs incurred will be met by KCC under the Excepted Items scheme.
b) Recruiting on a Permanent or Temporary Basis
All posts should be offered on a permanent basis unless there is an objective and justifiable reason for them to be temporary, even when an applicant is over the age of 65.
However, there may be occasions when there is a justifiable reason for a temporary appointment, e.g. to meet short term staffing needs when the post holder is off on long term sick leave. The reason for a temporary appointment must be clearly stated throughout the recruitment process and in any contract of employment.
Click here for information on permanent and casual relief staff.
c) Contents of application pack
An application pack should be sent or given to all applicants, containing the following documents:
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4. Shortlisting applicants
After the closing date the members of the recruitment panel should scrutinise the applications to ensure they are correctly completed and all the necessary information is provided. Care should be taken to ensure all candidates are assessed objectively against the skills and qualities necessary for the post as set out in the job description/person specification.
The selection panel should keep an open mind so as not to prejudge or make assumptions about the candidates' abilities based on irrelevant factors such as age or gender.
Short listing decisions need to be objectively justified and normally candidates that have met the majority of the criteria will be called for interview.
The short-listed candidates should be invited to interview, normally by telephone and at least two people should be on the selection panel.
Short-listing form
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5. Questions for interview
The interview should follow the format detailed in the interview checklist provided using the draft questions for interview. The questions are based on the skills and duties set out in the job description for the post.
Any concerns or issues that have been highlighted in a reference should be raised with the candidate at interview, ensuring any questions that are asked are not potentially discriminatory.
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6. Taking up references
Applicants should have given the names and addresses of two referees on their application form and also indicated whether they can be approached prior to interview.
References should be taken up prior to the selection day to enable any areas of concern to be explored with the candidate at the interview stage. References provide objective, verifiable and factual information to support the appointment decision but they should not be used on their own to make recruitment decisions. In some circumstances it may not be possible to obtain references prior to interview, but any job offer will be subject to satisfactory references.
As some applicants may not be currently working there are two draft reference requests, one for the current or previous employer and one to be used if requesting a personal reference, together with a covering letter. See also a manager's guide to employment references.
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7. Post interview
a) review candidate information
At the end of the selection process the panel should consider the candidate's responses and identify the one that most closely meets the person specification.
b)making an offer of employment
Although the offer of employment may be made verbally it should be confirmed in writing and 2 copies of the offer letter should be sent to the successful applicant.
The offer is made conditional upon the receipt of:
- A satisfactory pre-employment health clearance - we will send a pre-employment health form to the successful applicant and it should be completed and returned direct to Occupational Health (OH) ASAP. Occupational Health will notify us of the outcome. If OH has any concerns the applicant may be required to attend a medical.
- Receipt of two satisfactory references - these should have already been received prior to interview
- Documentary evidence that they are entitled to work in the UK - new measures came in to force in February 2008 to prevent illegal working and all employers now need to check every employees' entitlement to work in the UK, or they risk breaking the law. The successful applicant must bring the required documents into school to prove that they are eligible to work in UK and copies should be taken and sent to us with the appointment forms.
- A satisfactory enhanced CRB disclosure - applicants will need to complete an on-line CRB application.
- If the is post is temporary/fixed term the likely duration together with the reason for it being temporary/fixed term.
c) CRB Checks
For full information on CRB checks see info from CRB section.
d) Prevention of Illegal Working
As a result of the Prevention of Illegal Working, Immigration, Asylum & Nationality Act 2006 Head Teachers must check that all newly appointed candidates produce documentary evidence of their eligibility to work in the UK before they commence work. This evidence must be checked, copied and sent to us. The documents presented must be those included on the lists set out in the Act and in guidance issued by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/preventingillegalworking/.
Head Teachers should not presume that certain individuals are entitled to work in the UK; checking evidence on all appointees avoids discrimination and ensures that no-one is inadvertently employed illegally.
e) Pre-employment Health check
See information under b) above
Once the successful candidate has signed and returned the second copy of the offer letter Head Teachers need to complete the appointment documentation - see appointing.
